Liberians in Gambia celebrate President Weah’s inauguration

Liberian
community in The Gambia Monday celebrated the swearing in and inauguration of
their country’s newly elected President George M. Weah at the Manjai
mini-stadium.

The
former footballer replaces the West African state’s former president and the
first African elected female President Ellen Johnson Shirleaf who also appeared
at Monday’s ceremony at the fully-packed Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in the
country’s capital, Monrovia.

Mr.
Weah was the only African footballer to have won the prestigious Ballon D’Or.
He led the first round of the December polls but ran short of the majority to
win.

“This
day is historic and every Liberian must learn to appreciate their little
beginnings no matter how little they may be because appreciating your little
beginnings is evidence that greater things are coming,” Thong Mikel Howard,
guest speaker of the event said.

He
said president Weah’s life is a classic example that every individual face
different situations, choices, chances and changes. “You must make a choice to
take the chance if you want your life to change,” he cited.

Mr.
Howard said President Weah comes from the slums and people called him names and
when he wanted to be president in the early years people laughed at him because
he was uneducated.

Weah
went back to school and worked hard and today he is the president of Liberia
with a master’s degree.

He
described the day as “dawning” of a new day in the history of one of the oldest
African countries, saying Liberia is 107 years old and the people are still
poor with nothing to show.

Mr.
Howard expressed how frustrating it is for every Liberian to have come from one
of the oldest countries in the African continent yet having nothing to show-off
and “worse of all is that the country is divided. He argued that Liberia should
have set standards for other countries to emulate.

He
also challenged the new government to uphold the doctrines of the constitution
and use it as a guide to serve every Liberian. “The president must serve every
one irrespective of his religion, social status and political beliefs but the
constitution must be there to respect and protect every single Liberian at all
levels” Howard said. He challenged the new government to fight corruption and
consider it the number one enemy hence the former president publicly admitted
to have failed in her fight against the menace.

Chairman
of the Liberian Community in The Gambia Hamilton Hammer said the day was a joy
for all Liberians and they must all work together for a better Liberia.